Metallic structural units



N 1953 E. J. DE RIDDER METALLIC STRUCTURAL UNITS Original Filed Nov. 24, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 12, 1963 J. DE RIDDER METALLIC STRUCTURAL UNITS Original Filed Nov. 24, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FEGA l2 \IO Z/ A/// lo 6 III INVENTOR. Ernst J. De RiJJer ATTORNEV United States Patent 0 3,110,371 METALLEC STRUTURAL UNi'ES Ernst 5. De Ridder, Henrico County, Va., assignor to Reynolds Metals Qompany, Richmond, ya, a corporation of Delaware Continuation oi application der. No. 479,357, Nov. 24, 1954-. This application Sept. 3, H59, 52:. No. 338,321 10 Claims. (Cl. 189--3-t) The object of the present invention is to provide a metallic structural member adapted to be formed by extrusion and in which the ends are so formed that a plurality of the members may be interlocked, the characteristic of the formation being its provision of alternate fiat surface ribs and channels interlocked in such manner, as to a plurality of the members, to provide a strong watertight and moisture-resistant seal at each interlocking point, and with added pressure resistance.

The structural member of my invention is particularly adapted for use as flooring in vehicles such as trucks, railway cars, etc., and in lighter gauge it may be employed for siding, panels, roofing, and in other connections where a surface formed of a plurality of interlocked sections is required at low cost and with great facility in its application, together with the stated strong and effective seal at the areas of interlocking. When interlocked, the said members virtually form, in assembly, a unitary structure regardless of length and the number of members interlocked.

The invent-ion will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing three interlocked members in accordance with the invention, the righthand outermost member being broken awa FIG. 2. is an enlarged perspective view, partly broken away, showing the interlocked areas of two of the said members;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating the manner in which the interlocking is effected, and prior to bringing the two members down to the position or" FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section through the structure of FIG. 2 and an underlying support for the interlocked members, showing the use of a nut and bolt arrangement for connecting the members to the underlying support;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section through the interlocking area of HQ. 2, showing a modified provision of tying down the interlocked area of two members to the underlying support by a bolt and nut arrangement;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section through a modified form in which one of the members is provided with a sheet-like extension having transverse weakened areas or channels, enabling said section, when interlocked with an adjacent member or section, to be bent upwardly to serve as a base board or other inwardly planar area.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown in FIG. 1 three interlocked members which may be considered as flooring. From "left to right the said members are generally indicated by numerals l, 2 and 3 designated with brackets. The formation and interlocking of members 1 and Z is best shown in FIG. 6. Member fl is formed with an extension fix which is transversely weakened or channeled at a plurality of spaced points indicated at lxx, and this extension is planar at its top face. -t merges into a flat top r-ib 3 having at its edge a rounded nose 4, back of which is a rounded receiving recess for the rounded rib 5 of member 2. The nose 4 of member 1 merges with a channel extension having a flat base wall 6 and an upwardly extending leg '7. Upwardly extending leg 7 of member 1 is, at its top, formed with a rounded nose 8.

a eliorated Nov. 12, 1953 ice Member 2, at the interlocking area with member 1 is formed with a fiat topped hollow rib 9 having a rounded recess in its lower face to receive nose 8 of member 1. At this point of the interlock. member 2 is formed with a channel which closely fits the channel of my member 1 inwardly of the upwardly rising leg 7, and the said channel terminates with the rounded rib 5 which fits in the channel provided under the nose 4.

it will be understood that each of the members, having interlocking means at its ends, may be provided with as many intermediate ribs and channels as desired or permitted by the method of manufacture. It will be understood that while aluminum is a preferred metal, other metals may be employed, and that in some cases the members may be cast, and they may even be rolled sections intermediate the interlocking areas, for exam ple, and welded to the interlocking areas.

The interlocking area of member 3 is the same as that for member 1, as to one end thereof, and the same as member 2, as to the opposite end thereof.

Comparing FIG. 2 with PEG. 6, the difierence in PEG. 2 is simply that extending to the left of the interlocking area is a flat bottom channel merging into a fiat top rib, the latter shown as broken away. This rib will be completed by the normal width of its fiat top wall, its downward leg, and its continuation as a plurality of flat top ribs and channels as in member 2, FIG. 1. For this reason the same reference characters in PEG. 6 have been applied to FIG. 2 at the interlocking area of the latter.

FIG. 3 shows the manner in which the members are interlocked. With one member lying flat on its suitable support, one end of a second member having the outermost rib 5 will be raised and the rib 5 inserted under the nose 4 of the first member. Thereupon the second member is moved downwardly to the position of PEG. 2 and rib 8 will enter the channel provided under the hollow flat top rib 9 of the said second member, forming the tight double-wall channel interlock of FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 4 the interlocked members will be supported by one or more underlying supports it} and any suitable means attaching the members to said support may be employed. in FIG. 4 a bolt 11 is passed through member 9, with its head preferably countersunk in member 9. The shank of the bolt passes through the support lb and its threaded end receives a nut 12.

In FIG. 5 the extension 6x of base wall 6 is apertured to receive a bolt 13, and the latter passes through the support 16, receiving at its threaded end a nut 14. The number or" such bolts employed may be as desired for firm connection of the members to the support.

The invention is particularly applicable to refrigerated trucks and trailers which usually have a floor with many grooves thus securing sumcient air circulation below the freight. Many aluminum floor extrusions similar to corrugated sheet configurations have been developed and put in service. It has been found that these shapes are not completely watertight at the points where they are con nected together. As refrigerated trailers always have condensation, water fiows thr ugh these joints thus causing a lot of trouble with corrosion and making many costly repairs necessary. Many special floor extrusions with different joint designs have been put on the market, their water tightness depending more or less on sealing compounds which are helpful only for a short service period. Sealing compounds are not required in the present construction and the strength and resistance to shifting of the assembled members is improved.

It will be understood that the walls of the members are sufficiently flexible to interlock and yet spring into tight connection.

In the modification, FIG. 6, and in the preceding structures, the leg 7 may be formed with a normally horizontal extension 7x so that a bolt passed through openings such as 15 and into the underlying support will tie the interlock members together. Due to the flexibility of the interlocking members, the overlying members at the interlocks may be provi ed with minimum tolerance with respect to the channels in which they are received so as to require a certain pressure to shift these extrusions together and therefore securing such tight connection as to adequately resist lateral shifting.

This applica 'on is a continuation of my copending application, Serial No. 470,867, filed November 24, 1954, now abandoned.

I claim:

1. A set comprising: at least two extruded panel-like self-supporting structural metal sections adapted for interlocking engagement along their side edges to form at least a portion of a floor, each of said sections having upstanding parallel load-carrying ribs of uniform height alternating with channels of unit" r m depth across substantially the entire width of the section, each of said ribs having an upstanding planar wall portion and a loadbearing flat top and the Width of said tops being of the order of the spacing therebetween, the rib which extends along one side edge of one of said sections having a planar outer side and a solid lip extending along and overhan ing at least a portion of said planar outer side, said lip being provided on its undersurface with a rounded shallow groove-like seat, a lateral extension along the lower edge of said rib outer side, a portion of said extension being provided with a fiat bearing undersurface and a portion of said extension having a channel-like concavity in its upper surface defined in part by said rib outer side, the rib which extends along one side edge of the other of said sections having a channel-like lateral extension on the outer side of said last-mentioned rib, the upper edge of the outer wall of said last-mentioned extension being rounded and complementary to said seat on said one section for pivotal engagement therein during assembly of said sections, and said lateral extension on said other section being complementary and having surfaces conforming to the outer side of said rib on said one section below said seat and to said concavity, the construction and arrangement of said sections being such that said rounded edge can be engaged within said seat with said other section tilted up from said rounded edge and then said other section pivoted down about said rounded edge to assemble said sections into interlocking engagement with said conforming surfaces on said lateral extension on said other section in snug engagement with the outer side of said n'b below said seat and with said concavity on said one section.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the lateral extension on the one section is provided with an upstanding flange inwardly of its outer edge and the concavity is defined in pant by said flange.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the lateral extension on the one section is provided, inwardly of its outer edge, with an upstanding flange curved concavely with respect to the outer side of the rib on the one section, the upper edge of said flange being adapted to engage against the undersuriace of the flat top of the rib on the other section when said sections are in interlocking engagement.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 wherein the undersurface of the top of the rib on the other section is provided with a roove-like seat for snug rece tion of the upper edge of the flange.

5. A set comprising: at least two panel-like extruded self-supporting structural metal sections adapted for interlocking engagement along their side edges to form at least a portion of a floor, each of said sections having upstanding parallel load-carrying ribs of uniform height alternating with channels of uniform depth across substantially the entire width or, the section, each of said rl'us having an upstanding planar Wall portion and a loadbearing fiat top and the width of said tops being of the order or the spacing therebetween, one of said sections having an upwardly-facing channel-like configuration along one side edge including a planar inner side wall portion, defining at least a portion of an adjacent one of said ribs, and also including an outer side wall portion having at least portions thereof concavely curved, said inner wall portion being formed with an overhanging solid lip defining therebeneath a rounded shallow channel-like seat, the other of said sections having a channel-like configuration along one side edge generally complementary to and for nesting snug interfitting engagement within said channel-like configuration on said one section, the upper edge of the outer wall of said configmration on said other section being rounded and complementary to said seat for pivotal engagement therein during assembly of said sections and the inner wall of said configuration on said other section defining at least a portion of an adjacent one of said ribs, the construction and arrangement of said sections being such that said rounded edge can be engaged within said seat with said other section tilted up from said rounded edge, and then said other section pivoted down about said rounded edge to assemble said sections into interlocking engagement.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 in which the undersurface of the other section is provided with a groove-like seat adjacent the upper edge of the inner wall of its channel-like configuration for reception of the upper edge of the outer wall of the channel-like configuration of the one section when said sections are in interlocking engagesent.

7. The structure defined in claim 5 in which the channel-like configuration of the one section is provided with a planar extension at the lower edge of its outer side Wall.

8. A set comprising: at least two elongated extruded self-supporting structural metal sections adapted for interlocking engagement along their side edges to form at least a portion of a floor, each of said sections having a transverse profile defining a plurality of upstanding loadcarrying ribs of uniform height separated by channels of uniform depth, each of said ribs having an upstanding planar wall portion and a load-bearing flat top, the width of said tops being of the order of the spacing therebetween, one side or" of said sections terminating in an upwardly-facing channel-like configuration having a substantialiy planar inner side wall defining at least a portion of an adjacent one of said ribs and also having an outer side wall at least portions of which are concavely curved, said inner side wall being formed with an overhanging lip defining thereheneata a rounded shallow channel-like seat, the other of said sections having one side thereof ermir .ting in a channel-like configuration generally complementary to and for nesting snug interfitting engagement within said terminal channel-like configuration of said one section, the upper edge of the outer wall of said terminal channel-like configuration of said other section eing rounded and complementary to said seat for pivotal engagem at therein during assembly of said sections, the construction and arranger rent of said sections being such that said rounded edge can be engaged within said seat with said other section tilted up from said rounded edge, and then said other section pivoted down about said rounded edge to assern le said sections into interlocking engagement.

9. The structure defined in claim 8 in which the undersurface of the other section is formed with a groove-like seat adjacent the upper edge of the inner wall of its terminal channel-like configuration for reception of the upper edge of the outer wall of the terminal channel-like configuration on the one section.

10. A set comprising: at least two extruded panel-like self-supporting structural metal sections adapted for interiocl'ing agemcnt along their side edges to form at least a portion or" a floor, each of said sections having upstanding parallel ribs of uniform height separated by channels of uniform depth, each of said ribs having a load-bearing flat top and the Width of said tops being of the order of the spacing therebetween, the top of a terminal rib on one of said sections having a solid lip along its outer edge overhanging the outer side of said rib, said outer side being planar and said lip being provided on its undersurface with a rounded shallow groove-like seat, a lateral extension along the lower edge of said rib outer side, a portion of said extension being provided with a fiat bearing undersurface, a terminal rib on the other section having a channel-like lateral extension on its outer side, the upper edge of the outer wall of said channel-like extension being rounded and complementary to said seat on said one section for pivotal engagement therein during assembly of said sections into interlocking engagement, and said lateral extension on said other section being complementary and having surfaces conforming to the outer side of said rib on said one section and to a portion of the upper surface of said extension on said one section, 2

the construction and arrangement of said sections being 6 such that said rounded edge can be engaged within said seat with said other section tilted up from said rounded edge and then said other section pivoted down about said rounded edge to assemble said sections into interlocking engagement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 727,179 MoomaW May 5, 1903 943,888 Pedlar Dec. 21, 1909 1,011,153 Burriss Dec. 12, 1911 2,615,751 Black Oct. 28, 1952 2,682,236 Holmstrom et a1 June 29, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 106,354 Austria May 10, 1927 OTHER REFERENCES Designing with Aluminum Extrusions, Reynolds Metals Company, 1952, Copyrighted 1950, page 56. 

1. A SET COMPRISING: AT LEAST TWO EXTRUDED PANEL-LIKE SELF-SUPPORTING STRUCTURAL METAL SECTIONS ADAPTED FOR INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT ALONG THEIR SIDE EDGES TO FORM AT LEAST A PORTION OF A FLOOR, EACH OF SAID SECTIONS HAVING UPSTANDING PARALLEL LOAD-CARRYING RIBS OF UNIFORM HEIGHT ALTERNATING WITH CHANNELS OF UNIFORM DEPTH ACROSS SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE SECTION, EACH OF SAID RIBS HAVING AN UPSTANDING PLANAR WALL PORTION AND A LOADBEARING FLAT TOP AND THE WIDTH OF SAID TOPS BEING OF THE ORDER OF THE SPACING THEREBETWEEN, THE RIB WHICH EXTENDS ALONG ONE SIDE EDGE OF ONE OF SAID SECTIONS HAVING A PLANAR OUTER SIDE AND A SOLID LIP EXTENDING ALONG AND OVERHANGING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID PLANAR OUTER SIDE, SAID LIP BEING PROVIDED ON ITS UNDERSURFACE WITH A ROUNDED SHALLOW GROOVE-LIKE SEAT, A LATERAL EXTENSION ALONG THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID RIB OUTER SIDE, A PORTION OF SAID EXTENSION BEING PROVIDED WITH A FLAT BEARING UNDERSURFACE AND A PORTION OF SAID EXTENSION HAVING A CHANNEL-LIKE CONCAVITY IN ITS UPPR SURFACE DEFINED IN PART BY SAID RIB OUTER SIDE, THE RIB WHICH EXTENDS ALONG ONE SIDE EDGE OF THE OTHER OF SAID SECTIONS HAVING A CHANNEL-LIKE LATERAL EXTENSION ON THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID LAST-MENTIONED RIB, THE UPPER EDGE OF THE OUTER WALL OF SAID LAST-MENTIONED EXTENSION BEING ROUNDED AND COMPLEMENTARY TO SAID SEAT ON SAID ONE SECTION FOR PIVOTAL ENGAGEMENT THEREIN DURING ASSEMBLY OF SAID SECTIONS, AND SAID LATERAL EXTENSION ON SAID OTHER SECTION BEING COMPLEMENTARY AND HAVING SURFACES CONFORMING TO THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID RIB ON SAID ONE SECTION BELOW SAID SEAT AND TO SAID CONCAVITY, THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SAID SECTIONS BEING SUCH THAT SAID ROUNDED EDGE CAN BE ENGAGED WITHIN SAID SEAT WITH SAID OTHER SECTION TILTED UP FROM SAID ROUNDED EDGE AND THEN SAID OTHER SECTION PIVOTED DOWN ABOUT SAID ROUNDED EDGE TO ASSEMBLE SAID SECTIONS INTO INTERLOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CONFORMING SURFACES ON SAID LATERAL EXTENSION ON SAID OTHER SECTION IN SNUG ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID RIB BELOW SAID SEAT AND WITH SAID CONCAVITY ON SAID ONE SECTION. 